Our world, our nation, and our churches are in moral decline-and this decline stems directly from breaking God’s Law of Commandments (Is. 24:4-6). The purpose of God’s Commandments is to make us recognize our sin, turning us to Christ Jesus, who saves us from sin’s power on this earth and from eternal damnation. On the other hand, the purpose of God’s devil is to test the allegiance of our hearts, by enticing us to break God’s Law, just as he did Eve in the Garden. Our actions determine who is controlling us; that is, our actions decide whether we belong to Christ or the devil (Ro. 6:16-18; Ti. 1:16). Thus, our actions prove our faith and in the end determine our eternal destiny on the Day of Judgment (Mt. 7:21-23). Consequently, those who reject, ignore, or disobey God’s Commandments remain under the power of the evil one (1Jn. 5:18-21).
God’s Commandments are: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Keep the Sabbath holy. Honor your mother and father. You shall not murder, commit adultery or steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor or desire your neighbor’s wife or his goods. God’s Law is a serious matter. Ignoring His Law is sin, bringing misery, curses, and eternal death.
The devil is crafty and works through men with worldly hearts. While the church was busy with other things, the devil took action to eliminate God’s Commandments from our schools, court rooms, public forums, and yes, even many churches. By doing this, the devil’s men in effect, removed the very power of the Law-the knowledge of sin and its consequence of eternal damnation-from the minds of the people. With God’s Law removed, heightened awareness of sin is removed also. Without His Law there is nothing to influence our laws, our policies, and our hearts, except the schemes of worldly men.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law; so that [the murmurs and excuses of] every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God [for all have sinned].” To be `under the Law’ means to be under its condemnation for breaking the Law. “For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]” (Ro. 3:19-20 Amplified Bible). When the Law is removed from society’s mind, the people have no moral direction; the people become lawless and perish in their ignorance (1Jn. 3:4).
Even so, some teach that Christians can and will continue in sin even after repentance. Is this true? “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Ro. 6:1-2) “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1Jn. 2:1).
God gave His Law as a guide to the blind, the foolish, and the immature. The Law is the embodiment of knowledge and truth. The Law is holy, righteous and good. God’s Spirit is holy, righteous and good. Therefore, the mind set on God’s Spirit is able to subject itself to the Law and be holy, righteous, and good (Ro. 8:5-8).
Some teachers cite, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Ro. 3:2), inferringthatChristians will continue to break God’s Law, yet are considered `just and justified’ before God anyway. Others teach that no one can obey God’s Commandments and any requirement to obey them is works. These teachings are examples of the devil’s pervasiveness in the church today (2Thes. 2:1-10).
Scripture makes clear the purpose of God’s Law: “The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Faith [works] through love” (Gal. 5:6). And, “This is love, that we walk according to His Commandments” (2Jn. 6). Breaking His Law is the opposite of obeying His Spirit. “For not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified” (Ro. 2:13). “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Ro. 3:31).
Faith without the work of obedience to Christ’s Holy Spirit is dead! (1Pet. 1:14-17) “The one who says, `I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Furthermore, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (1Jn. 2:4; 3:6).
The religious Paul of Romans 7 was still walking according to the dictates of his flesh until the day he met Jesus. But thereafter, in Romans 8, he no longer served sin: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” who live no longer after the dictates of their flesh to please self, but after the dictates of the Spirit to please God. For the “power” of the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets those who truly repent free from the “power” of the Law of sin and death. The Apostle Paul “in Christ Jesus” had crucified his flesh with its passions and desires! (Gal. 5:24).
“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law [Ro.13:8-10] might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Ro. 8:3-4).
The power of the Law of God’s Commandments is two fold: First, His Law condemns us because of our unbelief and sin. And secondly, it leads the contrite to Christ, who enables them to fulfill God’s Law and be saved from eternal damnation. It is God’s Law of Commandments that will be judging us on the Last Day (Jn. 12:48-50; 5:28-29; 6:40).